


A World Of Superstition and the Sword

by TheHungryStark



Category: Gargoyles (Cartoon), RWBY
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-05
Updated: 2020-10-14
Packaged: 2021-03-06 20:15:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,602
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26304754
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheHungryStark/pseuds/TheHungryStark
Summary: One thousand years ago, it was a world of strife as man and faunus waged a neverending battle against the forces of the Grimm. Legends tell of an ally in this battle, warriors of unmatched strength and ferocity. Now, while exploring Wyvern Castle, Team RWBY learns there is more to these stories than mere legend...
Comments: 9
Kudos: 14





	1. The Awakening - Part One

"Girls," Professor Port said, "did I ever tell you the legend of Goliath?"

"Only a thousand times," Weiss muttered, rolling her eyes as she waved a hand in front of her face. This did little to dispel the stench of old wood and dust. Wyvern castle seemed to be trying to cause her the most discomfort possible. Why weren't any of her other teammates having this trouble?

Team RWBY was currently being led by Professor Peter Port through the halls of Castle Wyvern, an early attempt at a permanent settlement in Vale. It had been abandoned like all the others, but stories about it were still being retold a thousand years later. Port was using a flashlight to guide the way while regaling them with the same story over and over again, of which only Ruby hadn't grown tired of.

"And that's because it's a fantastic story!" Ruby declared, jabbing a finger at Weiss. "I read and reread the books about it over a hundred times! They're epic stories of heroes struggling against the forces of evil!"

Port laughed, thumping his chest. "Well said! I couldn't have put it better myself, Miss Rose. Goliath was the leader of the Wyvern clan, the mightest of all Gargoyles! Under his leadership, the Wyvern clan fought against all manner of foes, from bandits to evil sorcerers to Fair Folk to Grimm! Why, do you know how Goliath got his name?"

"By defeating a Goliath single-handedly," the girls said together, Ruby louder and more enthusiastically than the others. Port laughed.

"By defeating a Goliath single-handedly!" he boasted, "Truly, a legend in his time!"

"Yes, a legend," Blake said, "that was never proven."

"Until today, girls!" Port replied, turning to them, "That's why we are here at Wyvern castle, to-"

"Investigate reports of increased Grimm activity," Weiss said, "not find some old legend in a castle abandoned before the establishment of Mantle."

"That's a secondary objective," Port said quickly, "now, eyes sharp! We don't want t-"

"We know, you've told us already." Yang said, rolling her eyes and unable to not smirk, "God, you sound like a recap caption in a comic strip."

"I do not!" Port said, crossing his arms over his chest.

Team RWBY didn't reply. They'd been brought out here with one specific objective; clear the Grimm from an important archeological site. Not to look into some old legend which had been retold over a million times, including a Saturday morning cartoon.

Although, now that Yang thought about it...

"Hey," Yang said, smirk widening, "Port, did you ever watch the Goliath Chronicles?"

Ruby tensed, then scowled. "Oh, don't get me started on the Goliath Chronicles!"

Yang chuckled. Mission accomplished. Blake and Weiss glared at her as Ruby began yet another rant.

"I mean, Goliath Chronicles could have been amazing, but no, they changed so many parts of the story! Goliath is now just handing out messages to kids about how they should obey their parents or clean up their rooms, instead of kicking Grimm ass!"

"I don't know," Yang said, giving both Blake and Weiss a mischievous grin, "I thought the first episode was a little good."

"No, it wasn't!" Ruby declared, clutching her fists together and stamping her foot, "It was a complete travesty from start to finish! I mean, Goliath's mate, what's-her-name, Hella or something. She didn't even have a name in the legend, gargoyles aren't supposed to have names! Goliath only got a name because humans gave him one! And his mate was only trying to protect her clan, she didn't mean for them all to be destroyed! But they made her into a cackling villain who would feed her own daughter to a pack of Grimm! She didn't even have a daughter!"

Blake didn't glare at Ruby. She glared at the devilishly smirking Yang. "Why are you like this?"

"Hey, big sisters have a job to tease their little sisters." Yang chuckled. Weiss rolled her eyes.

"And don't get me started on what they did to the rest of the Wyvern clan!" Ruby continued, oblivious to the rest of her team, "None of the rest were supposed to have names either!"

"At the expense of sounding redundant," Weiss said, side-eying Yang, "please stop it. You're just being cruel to everyone else."

"I disagree," Port remarked, "the Goliath Chronicles made a complete hash of one of Remnant's greatest legends! Any criticism against it is to be celebrated!"

"Thank you!" Ruby said.

Weiss's mouth dropped open in shock. "You've gotta be kidding me..."

"I mean, please, it's a tale of heroism and courage! Not a story about children learning from their gargoyle friends!"

"I've always viewed it as a rather sad story," Blake said, "Goliath's clan was slaughtered, he and the survivors turned to stone in grief, and the humans here forced to leave. In the end, all their struggles were for nothing."

"...I liked it better when I didn't know that part," Ruby said dejectedly.

Port stopped suddenly, holding up a hand. Team RWBY instantly stopped as well, readying their weapons. "What is, Professor Port?"

"I thought I heard something," he said quietly. Team RWBY listened, only to hear... silence. Port spoke. "Girls, be on guard. I don't think we are alone here."

No sooner had he said that than a growl came from behind them. All five immediately turned around and gripped their weapons.

In the darkness, several pairs of glowing yellow-red eyes were staring right at them. "Grimm!" Port shouted, "Open fire!"

The girls did as Port ordered, spacing out to avoid friendly fire. The Grimm roared and charged, coming into the light of Port's flashlight. Beowulves, Ursas, Crawlers, the usual pack. Each one was felled by a well-placed shot from the Huntresses in training or their veteran teacher. But two more seemed to take their place.

"Fall back," Port shouted, "there's too many!"

The girls were already running after Port, trading off shots behind them. "That's way more Grimm than the reports indicated!" Weiss yelled, pausing only to create a wall of ice behind them. It would only be them a few minutes.

"What are they even doing here?" Yang exclaimed, "Nobody's lived in this place for centuries!"

"Questions later," Port said, "for now, we need to work out a plan-"

Ruby tripped suddenly, landing on her stomach. She grunted and began to stand up when the stone beneath her deepened. "Huh?" she said, "Hey guys, something's-"

Then the floor gave way. Ruby screamed as she fell through it, hands flailing in the air.

"Ruby!" Yang yelled, rushing over to where her sister had just fallen. At that moment, the ice wall shattered, and a Bayard Grimm came snorting through, hooves trampling along the stone. Behind it came the rest of the hoard.

"Miss Xiao Long, we'll rescue your sister, but we can't do it with the floor collapsing!"

"I thought this building was supposed to be secure?" Weiss interjected, getting ready to create another ice wall.

"It was!" Port answered, "Unless..."

A feral yell came down the hall and Port tensed. "Keep moving," he ordered, "now!"

Ruby blinked slowly. She was in a chamber of some kind, flanked by stone walls. Her aura was flickering dangerously. It was the only reason she was still alive. The first thing she noticed was the burning torches on the wall.

"Where am I?" she said, standing up and brushing off her skirt. First things first, she needed to find Crescent Rose and get out of here. Then she noticed what was behind her, and felt the air leave her lungs. "Whoa..."

Statues. Six statues, resting on a pedestal. Ruby blinked when she realized they were gargoyles. They were all winged, save a smaller one which was on four legs. It had large, fan-shaped ears on either side of the head with two short horns on top, and his back had three spikes running along the spine. A gargoyle beast, Ruby realized. She began scanning the other gargoyles, unable to keep herself from smiling.

The first gargoyle she inspected was slim with a pointed beak and horns. A thick mat of hair ran down his back. Beside him was a rotund figure with fin-shaped ears, massive wings, and a pronounced underbite. A small one with his wings growing out from the sides of his body rather than his back sat between them, hands upraised as he snarled.

On the right side of the pedestal was a statue with a scar on one eye, a sword in his belt, and a beard that hung to his chest. He was the only one to wear something other than a loincloth, in his case, a near-complete suit of armor. Six horns were placed on the top of his bare head, three on each side.

In the middle, chin resting his hand contemplatively, long, thick hair cascading down his back, was the largest of them all. Though made of stone, he radiated the aura of a hardened warrior, his muscular figure already giving him an intimidating appearance. But there something noble about him, though, and Ruby felt like, if this were a living being, she could trust him with all her heart. Yet his face seemed... sad and resigned.

Gargoyles. Okay, a bunch of gargoyles was sitting on this pedestal, and they were just stone. Totally... though it wouldn't hurt to check.

Ruby crept forward and raised a hand, tapping it against the stern, sad face of the middle gargoyle. He didn't even flinch. "Just stone," she muttered. What were the odds she'd found the actual Wyvern clan? For a moment, she'd hoped that was the case, but now-

A growl behind her made her freeze, and she quickly turned around. Just at the other end of the chamber was a massive, lumbering shape. Several yellow-red eyes glared at her before a massive Alpha Beowulf lunged out of the darkness, swiping at her. Ruby barely managed to step back in time, earning a sharp blow to her head that sent her reeling. Her aura flickered and broke as she landed on the ground, cracking her head against the pedestal. She could feel blood leaking out of her head and onto the stone. She groaned, touching the wound, then snapped back to attention as the Alpha Beowulf howled. Behind it emerged several more, smaller Beowulves, each one snarling and growling at her in hungry anticipation.

She reached for Crescent Rose on reflex, only to find it missing from her side. Oh, gods. This was how she was going to die. She... she wasn't supposed to go out like this, not so soon. Not now. Not when she-

There was a crack from the pedestal. The Grimm stopped, ears perked and eyes locked on the statues. Ruby snapped her head upward, and her eyes widened.

The toe of the middle statue. It had cracked. And the cracks were spreading. The stone fell away, revealing tough, lavender-colored skin underneath. The toes twitched as the cracks continued to spread until the entire body was free of stone. What had been sleeping underneath growled, shifting from a sitting position to his feet, stretching his wings and arms with a ferocious roar.

Ruby stared, heart thudding in her chest, at the sight of the towering, impressive creature before her, his broad chest heaving as he took what had to be his first chest in over a thousand years. His eyes glowed a majestic white-silver. She recoiled when they glared down at her. He had an intense, powerful gaze, like that of a demigod reawakened from his slumber - which he very well might be. In those eyes, Ruby felt the weight of years of combat experience, more than even her Uncle Qrow had seen. Then they shifted, glaring at the Grimm.

There was more cracking and Ruby watched, awe-struck as the other gargoyles shed their stone skins, hissing, roaring, growling back to life. They stretched their arms and wings, shaking off stray bits of stone, eyes blazing white-silver. Their growls were answered by those of the Grimm, which were barking and roaring with increased ferocity. The Alpha Beowulf stepped forward, rearing up on its back legs and roaring a challenge.

"Gargoyles," the lavender-skinned one said, crouching into a position she'd seen cats take before they pounced, wings held close to his body, "Grimm are in the castle. Destroy them!" With a savage roar, he lunged over Ruby, wings spreading open, arms outstretched. The Alpha Beowulf roared and lunged off the ground, colliding with the gargoyle in mid-air. It was forced back onto the ground, overpowered for only a brief instant. Then it threw the lavender gargoyle aside and was on top of him.

The rest of the Grimm pack roared and sprinted forward. That was the cue for the other gargoyles to do the same, launching themselves off the pedestal and at their enemy. Ruby watched, awe-struck, at the battle that unfolded before her.

The lead gargoyle was wrestling with the alpha, struggling to keep his jaws away from his neck. He planted both feet in its midsection and kicked it away, sending it hurtling into the wall. It growled as it got to its feet, glaring as his opponent lunged forward. The Alpha swiped a claw, only for the lavender gargoyle to catch it in his claws and uppercut the Grimm. It staggered back, shaking its head, only for the lavender gargoyle to tackle it to the ground. The Alpha growled, only to have another punch land in its snout.

The one with the beak slid underneath the claws of one Beowulf before slicing through a leg with his claw then vaulting upward and wrapping both arms around its neck. His opponent staggered, snarling and scratching at his foe with deadly intent. The beaked gargoyle just smirked and pulled backward, planting both feet on the Beowulf's back. Bending over backward, he kicked out while still holding the Grimm's neck in his arm, breaking its back.

The gargoyle beast was snapping his jaws at another, dodging a swipe before sinking its teeth into the Beowulf's neck, causing it to howl in pain as black smoke drifted out of the wound. It didn't have a chance to recover as the beast ripped out its throat, spitting the black mass out with obvious disgust. It then snarled and raced to tackle another one, clawing at its face.

The fat one had barreled into another Beowulf and pinned it to the ground, raining punches on its face. A second Beowulf lunged upward at him, jaws hanging open, only for the smallest gargoyle to tackle its head, displaying incredible strength despite his small size. He grabbing at the head of a Grimm that had nearly attacked his comrade, which was now desperately trying to shake him off. It howled as the small gargoyle slashed at his eyes, before kicking off as the fat one threw the Grimm he'd been beating through the air and into the blinded Beowulf. The two crumpled onto the ground.

The older one deftly avoided one Grimm's attack, then grabbed its arm and turned, swinging it into the wall with a crack. The unfortunate Grimm was reduced to smoke in moments. Then he grunted as another Grimm tackled him to the ground, sinking its teeth into his shoulder. Ruby gasped when she saw a yellow aura flicker around the body, but her amazement was short-lived when she saw the old gargoyle grimace in pain. Another Grimm was swiftly closing in, maw dripping with saliva.

The older gargoyle wouldn't see it in time. If she didn't do something-

Ruby looked around, frantically trying to think of some way to help. She needed Crescent Rose, but she couldn't waste time trying to find it. Then she spotted a stray slab of stone. Immediately, she reached over and picked it up. Without a moment's notice, she stood up, drew back her arm, and threw it through the air with all her might. It smashed into the Beowulf's head, making it flinch and yelp. It turned to her, growling, eyes blazing with hunger. It roared and raced forward.

"Oh, crud!" Ruby screamed, getting ready to leap out of the way as the Grimm jumped - then was tackled by the gargoyle beast. They landed on the ground, breaking apart as the gargoyle beast landed on its feet, facing the Grimm. It stood on all fours, shaking its head briefly before locking eyes with the gargoyle beast, growling deep in its throat. It snapped its jaws at him, which the gargoyle beast answered with a snap of his own jaws. The Grimm responded by lunging forward, pushing into the gargoyle beast and pinning him to the floor. The beast was knocked onto his back and used his feet to kick the Beowulf away, then sprinted at it, catching it in a charge.

The two beasts snarled and rolled across the floor, clawing and biting at one another with ferocious intensity. Then the gargoyle beast was pinned onto his stomach, taking a bite to the neck from the Beowulf. It howled as its aura flickered, then began frantically shaking and bucking, his head slamming into the Grimm, knocking it off balance. The gargoyle beast wasted no time, jumping to his feet, turning around, and latching his jaws onto the Grimm's head with a crushing bite.

The was a crack as the Beowulf's bone plating broke, causing it to evaporate in seconds with one last pathetic howl. The gargoyle beast stood up, shook itself off, then turned and bounded over to Ruby, skidding to a stop in front of her and taking up a defensive stance right, his back hunched and head low to the ground, snarling with an open mouth at anything which dared get too close.

"Uh... thanks," she whimpered softly. An audile crack made her glance toward the older gargoyle, who had both hands on either side of his opponent's head, which had been twisted at an unnatural angle. Standing up as his kill evaporated into black smoke, the tan-colored gargoyle noticed another Beowulf charge at him. He stepped aside as it swiped a claw, then brought his arm down into its back, snapping it audibly.

A ferocious roar from the middle of the chamber made Ruby look to see the largest gargoyle had one foot firmly on the Alpha's back, pinning it to the ground. His claws had latched onto the inside of its jaws, forcing them apart as the Alpha howled in rage and pain. Then, with a terrific snap, the Grimm's jaws broke, the lower dangling uselessly from its hinges as it evaporated into smoke. Ruby blinked, amazed at how quickly the gargoyles were dispatching their enemies.

In what seemed like moments, the fight was over, leaving the gargoyles standing.

Ruby looked to the gargoyle beast in front of her, which grunted and turned around, tongue hanging out as it stared up at her with blank white eyes. Then it licked its lips, closing its mouth in what was unmistakably a smile and jumped upward, tackling Ruby to the ground. She let out a yelp of surprise which turned to laughter as the gargoyle eagerly began licking her face. "Stop it, stop it, that tickles!" she giggled, batting her hands at the gargoyles face. This quickly turned into her petting the beast. His skin wasn't as leathery as she'd thought it'd be.

Preoccupied with her new-found friend, she didn't pay attention to the other gargoyles.

"What a way to wake up," said the oldest, rubbing his shoulder as he walked to his leader, "but... why are we awake at all? The spell was only supposed to last until Wyvern castle had risen above the clouds. And as far as I can tell... the castle is still on the ground."

"Yeah," said the fat one as he joined his clanmates, "I don't hear any birds singing or anything."

"And how'd these Grimm get in the castle?" the smallest asked. "It was supposed to be sealed. Has the magic been weakened or something?"

"I believe our answers may lie with the human," the largest said, folding his wings over his body into a makeshift cape. He strode across the floor toward the girl, who was laughing in merriment as she played with the clan's loyal watchdog. For a moment, it reminded him of happier times, but he suppressed those memories. He whistled.

The gargoyle beast frowned, turning from Ruby to his clanmate with a bashful groan, then slowly stalked away, head held low as it whimpered, coming to a stop beside the towering hunk. The other gargoyles assembled behind their leader, who was watching the girl as she wiped the saliva from her face.

"Aw, yuck," she said, wiping her lips, "there's gargoyle drool is in my mouth!" She spat out a glob, dragging her fingers across her tongue.

"Human," the leader said, causing Ruby to snap toward him, eyes as big as dinner plates. "You-" then he saw the color of her eyes and blinked. His face softened. "...have silver eyes."

"Uh..." Ruby wasn't sure how to respond to that. The other gargoyles, however, gasped, eyes as wide as hers. Ruby suddenly felt naked in their gaze. She wondered if that was the look on her face when she'd found them in stone form. They were looking at her like she was some great hero come from another land. Well, save the older one.

"Ah, that explains it," he said, nodding, smiling, "and why our beast has taken such a liking to you." He petted the gargoyle in question, which barked, lips curled upward in a clear smile.

"Silver eyes? She really has silver eyes?" said the beaked gargoyle with red skin, his voice full of wonder, "I thought they were extinct."

The oldest snorted. "Extinct? Ha! As if Salem could bring down the silver-eyed warriors with her Grimm alone."

The fat one slowly walked forward, awestruck. He bent down, looking right into her face. Ruby backed away, unsure of what to make of the gargoyle. "Wow," he said, "how'd you use your eyes? Did it hurt?"

"Uh?" Ruby's eyebrow lifted as she stared, confused, right back at the gargoyle.

"Wait," said the red one, "hold up. If she can use her eyes, why didn't she take out the Grimm?"

"Maybe she's a novice?" said the smallest.

"A novice in... what?" Ruby said, still processing she talking with actual gargoyles.

The tallest hummed and stepped forward. The fat one perked and sheepishly stepped aside, making room for him. He bent down and reached forward. Ruby cowered back a bit, then flinched as he brushed her hair aside. "You're injured," he said, then glanced at the pedestal. "I see..."

"Uh, Goliath," said the smallest, "what is it?"

Ruby felt a jolt race up her spine. She... no, she couldn't have- was she hearing things?!

"Her blood was spilled on the pedestal," he said, "that's what broke the spell."

"Wait," said Ruby, pointing at the small one, "did you just call him... Goliath?" Without waiting for an answer, she then pointed at the gargoyle in question. "You're... Goliath?"

He stood up straight, crossing his arms. "That is what the humans of this castle called me."

Ruby sat frozen for a few moments, blinking only once or twice in the space of a minute. Then she squealed so loudly the gargoyles flinched and covered their ears. She sprang to her feet, hands clenched into fists beneath her chin as she beamed. Goliath took a step back, eyebrow raised. "Can I have your autograph?!"


	2. Chapter 2

"So, let me get this straight," Ruby said, "my eyes can turn Grimm to stone and get rid of magic? And silver-eyed warriors and gargoyles are natural allies in the fight against the Grimm?" She winced and held a hand to her head wound. Two of the gargoyles had taken off a strip of his loincloth to make her a wrap, which had quelled the bleeding. But now that the excitement of watching actual gargoyles battle - well, slaughter - a pack of Beowulves, then being able to actually speak with the actual Wyvern clan, the most famous clan of gargoyles _ever_ , she was aware of how much it hurt.

"Aye, that's right," the oldest gargoyle said. "A little unfair that only humans and Faunus have it, if you ask me."

"Man, if I could turn Grimm to stone just by looking at them, I'd be unstoppable!" said the fat one.

"Like your appetite," joked the smallest. The fat one's face fell and he glared at his clanmate.

"Hey, I haven't eaten anything in over a thousand years!" As if to reinforce that point, his stomach rumbled. His face went blank, then he chuckled nervously. Ruby snickered, as did the red and short gargoyles.

It was so... strange, actually meeting the Wyvern clan. All these years, the legends had described them as practically demigods, able to destroy entire armies with one swipe of their talons. She'd have thought that, in person, they'd be as fearsome as that reputation suggested. Instead, they were... pretty chill. If anything, she could see the trio of young gargoyles as students as Beacon, while the oldest would easily be an experienced Huntsman training them. It was so _weird_.

"Human," said Goliath, his deep baritone making Ruby freeze on the spot. Most of the clan might be chill, but Goliath? He was.. something else. He was everything she'd expected, and more. If the others were either Beacon students or a teacher, than Goliath was... no, he wouldn't be the Headmaster. He was something much, much _more._ "There is something I've been meaning to ask you."

Ruby gulped. On the one hand, this was Goliath, the greatest Grimm slayer who'd ever lived. She'd spent her entire life looking up to him because of that. On the other hand, by the gods, he was intimidating. "Uh... what is it?"

"Why are you here?"

"Oh," Ruby said, relieved, "well, uh... my team and I were sent here to clear it of Grimm."

"'Team?' There are more humans in the castle?"

"Oh! Right! You've been asleep for a thousand years," Ruby said, snapping her fingers. "My team is... uh, this is going to take a lot of explaining." She sighed, preparing to tell them everything they didn't know. "About a hundred years ago, after the end of the Great War, the Huntsmen academies were established. Huntsmen and Huntresses are people who fight the Grimm. To be one, you have to train at the academy with three other people. This is your team. My team is Team RWBY."

"Team Ruby?" the old gargoyle said, amused, "Why would name your team after yourself?"

"Uh... I didn't. Headmaster Ozpin did when he made me team leader. And it's RWBY with a w instead of a u."

The three younger gargoyles stared at her, then exchanged glances, confused.

"She means the human alphabet," the older one said, before getting a thoughtful look on his face. "At least, I think she does."

"Oh," the fat one said before turning to Ruby. "Uh... where would the w go?"

"Um..." Ruby put a finger to her bottom lip, trying to think of some way to explain this when Goliath spoke.

"Enough!" He said, keeping his voice calm yet firm, giving a quick glance at the other gargoyles before looking back to Ruby. "How did you get separated from the rest of your team?"

"Well, we were exploring the castle when a massive horde of Grimm ambushed us. The floor gave way underneath me and I fell."

"The floor gave way?" said the oldest, "What do you mean, it gave way?"

Ruby looked up above her and pointed. "Well... there's a hole above us."

The gargoyles followed her finger. "Hmm... so there is..." the oldest mused, stroking his beard. "Odd..."

"Odd how?"

"Why did only that part of the floor give way and not the rest?" the oldest continued. "Something's not right here..."

"Okay, uh, guy, gargoyles," Ruby said, pausing to take in a deep breath as the Wyvern clan turned back to her, "look, my team is still out there, and they need me. I can't just leave them, and-" she winced again. This stupid wound had just flared again.

"The human is right," Goliath said, turning to the Wyvern clan, "there are some unanswered questions here, but right now, our priority is helping her find the rest of her team."

"And Crescent Rose," Ruby added, "that's my weapon. It's really, really important to me."

The fat one perked. "What does it look like?"

"Oh, well, it's a scythe that turns into a customizable high powered sniper rifle-"

"A what?" asked the oldest, bemused.

"It's also a gun."

"What's a gun?" the fat one asked.

"Oh boy," Ruby sighed, shaking her head.

"Don't worry," said the smallest, "we'll be able to find it in a few seconds."

Ruby smiled. "Thanks."

The trio of gargoyles, along with the beast, immediately began searching the room, lifting up rocks and peeking around corners. The oldest, however, was examining the torches. "Strange," he muttered, lifting one off the wall and inspecting it, "this torch was lit... very recently." He turned to Ruby and walked over to her. "Ruby, wasn't it? Do you know anything about these torches?"

Ruby stared intently at the torch, then slowly shook her head. "Uh... no, actually, I don't. There were lit when I fell in here."

"Hmm..." the oldest turned to his leader, who was silently surveying the search for Crescent Rose. "Goliath, if I might have a word?"

Goliath looked at his mentor and nodded silently. At that moment, there was a cry from the fat one. "I found it!" He had thrown aside a slab of rock and was holding a red and black piece of metal above his head, waving it triumphantly. "It was underneath a boulder!"

Ruby smiled as she walked over to him. "Thanks, that means-"

There was a click which made the fat gargoyle stop and look at Crescent Rose. Then it snapped open, making him cry out, jump and drop it to the floor. Ruby suddenly dived forward, catching it in her hand before it hit the ground. She grunted as her stomach landed on the stone floor, wincing again. "Oh. Sorry," said the fat gargoyle, bashfully.

"It's okay," Ruby said, smiling as she stood up and switched Crescent Rose to an inactive form. "Accidents happen. I'm just happy no one got hurt."

"How would someone have gotten hurt?" asked the small one, who'd crawled over to join his clanmate and Ruby.

"Oh, well, there's still a round in the chamber, and if it had landed, it might have set it off," Ruby explained. When she saw the confused expressions on the two gargoyles' faces, she sighed. "I've going to have to explain to you guys what I'm talking about, aren't I?"

The two exchanged a glance, smiled, then looked back to Ruby, nodding.

As Ruby carefully explained how she'd built Crescent Rose, why she'd had to spend several classes learning about gun safety with her uncle, and how to properly take care of her weapon, Goliath was talking with his mentor.

"This doesn't sit right with me, Goliath," he said, "not only are the torches lit, but they were also lit recently. Someone's been here well before the girl has. And that floor just happened to fall out from under her feet, separating her from her teammates? I don't like any of it, lad."

"Agreed, old friend," Goliath answered, "there are other forces at work here. I don't know what they want or who they are, but one thing is certain; they are still in the castle."

"In that case," his mentor said with a scowl, clenching his hands into fists, "it's time we drive them out."

"Um, excuse me," said Ruby, "Goliath?" Neither Goliath nor his old mentor had noticed Ruby approach them, holding Crescent Rose in her hands while the young trio and their beast waited in the back, watching with nervous interest.

"What is it?" Goliath said cordially.

"Well, uh, there's something I want to talk about. See, I've spent a lot of time studying gargoyle culture-"

"You've studied our culture?" said the oldest gargoyle.

Ruby nodded eagerly. "Yeah, see, I'm a huge fan of the gargoyle legends because they're just so badass and awesome and crazy and oh my gosh, please tell me how you beat up a Goliath with your bare hands, please please please-"

Goliath raised one eyebrow in mild shock and amusement at the silver-eyed girl's many questions but held up a hand. "I can tell you later. Now, you wished to speak to me about..."

"Oh!" Ruby blinked, then looked down at the ground, tapping the toe of her shoe against it nervously as she awkwardly smiled. "Well, uh... if it's not too offensive... can I give some of you nicknames?"

"...nicknames?" Goliath said.

"I know that gargoyles don't use names or anything, except for you, but it's kind of hard to keep track of you guys if all I can refer to you as is-" she pointed at Goliath's mentor "-the old one, or the fat one, or the small one, or the one with the beak. It's kind of-"

"Confusing?"

"I was going to say awkward, but that also works."

Goliath stroked his chin contemplative, then nodded. "If it eases communication between us, then I see no problem with it. You may bestow nicknames upon my clan."

Ruby's eyes sparkled as she smiled, grinning from ear to ear. "You- you really mean it?!"

Goliath nodded. Ruby squealed, jumping up and down on the spot. "Oh my gosh, thank you thank you THANK YOU! You've no idea how much it means to me that you said yes! Goliath himself said yes! To a question I asked! Ayeee!"

"So, about these nicknames," the oldest gargoyle said, giving his young protege a playful smirk. Goliath rolled his eyes at that.

Ruby stopped jumping and blinked. "Oh, yeah, the nicknames..." She tapped a finger against her chin, humming, then snapped her thumb and index finger together.

"I know!" she pointed at the oldest gargoyle. "How about... Fossil?"

The oldest gargoyle's eyes widened. Goliath stared in shock, mouth agape, while the young trio did the same. Even the gargoyle beast seemed stunned. Ruby's face slowly went pale as she took in their reaction.

"Fossil?" said the oldest, "Fossil?! Are you meaning to imply I'm-"

"No, I didn't mean it like that!" she said, "I meant Fossil because, well, Fossils are old and come from another time and you can learn a lot of things from them-"

"I think I'd like a different name," the oldest grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest. He shot a glare at the three snickering gargoyles. _Little rascals,_ he thought.

Ruby awkwardly cleared her throat, trying to think up another name. "Okay, okay, sorry, um... how about... Jasper? Jasper, as in the rock, which can come in green, and well, you're green-"

The oldest cut her off. "Jasper's fine. Much better than Fossil."

Ruby sighed, closing her eyes in relief. "Oh, thank Gods..." then she turned to the other three and the beast. "Okay, now, what about you guys?"

"Oh! Me first, me first!" said the fat one. Ruby nodded.

"Okay, how about... Agate?"

"Agate?" The fat one hummed, stroked his chin in what seemed to be a mimicry of Goliath and the newly dubbed Jasper, then nodded. "I like it!"

"Okay, now, who's next?"

The smallest stepped forward, resting on his feet. "I'll go next."

"Alright, for you... Pieter. As in Pietersite, or Tiger's Eye. It comes in orange, yellow, and brown, and I think it suits you."

The smallest shrugged, smiling. "Alright, Pieter it is."

"So, now it's my turn?" asked the beaked one. "Let me guess, something red?"

Ruby chuckled, still a little embarrassed. "I'm thinking Granite or-"

"How about Crimson?"

Ruby blinked, then shrugged. "Um... are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm positive."

"Alright. Crimson it is." Then she turned to the gargoyle beast, which was staring up at her with a tongue lolling out of his mouth. "And as for you, that's easy. Labrador, as in Labradorite!"

"One question," said Jasper, "why are all our names related to some kind of color?"

"Um... well, it just kind of comes naturally? Most people have names relating to some kind of color nowadays, like me. My name's Ruby Rose."

"Gee," said Crimson, "I never would have guessed." Pieter and Agate laughed.

"We can discuss this later," Goliath said, spreading his wings out. "Ruby Rose. We must find your team and ensure their safety. This castle is infested with Grimm, and I want to know why." Goliath then turned and bent down. "Climb onto my back."

Ruby went slack, eyes wide. "You, uh... why?"

"You said you fell through that hole," Jasper pointed out, "when you got separated from your team. If we want to find them, we better start up there."

Ruby's face went blank, then she brightened. Without further ado, she raced over and climbed up on Goliath, wrapping her tiny arms around his neck. Then he jumped up, grabbing onto the wall and pulling himself upward. Ruby watched, awestruck, as his claws pierced the stone wall. Jasper was doing the same, then other gargoyles came over, grabbing onto the wall and beginning to climb. Agate hefted Labrador under one arm before lifting his other hand then sinking his claws into the wall.

Ruby was giddy with excitement, grinning like a madman. All she could think of was how Yang, Weiss, and Blake would react when they met the Wyvern clan. _They are gonna love_ _them!_

None of them noticed was the camera in the far corner, watching them climb.

* * *

A lean man was slouching in a chair, smirking, feet hanging over the armrests. He was resting his chin in one hand, idly toying with the braid hanging off the back of his head. "Well, well, well," he chuckled, "our little rose has woken the monsters."

In front of him was a row of screens, each one linked to a camera. The one in the top right corner displayed the - now-former - resting place of the Wyvern clan. He chuckled again when the gargoyle beast padded up to Ruby Rose and rubbed his head against her leg. The young rose smiled and stroked her new pet.

"Tyrian."

The man in question glanced at the door behind him, not bothering to turn around. He could smell her from her. "Ah, so nice of you to join me," he said, swiveling the chair to face the door.

Standing in it was a tall, slender figure, a pair of wings clasped over her shoulders and back like a cloak. Two pointed ears, pierced with golden rings, stuck out on either side of her head, a gold tiara perched on her brow. She wore a full bodysuit, made of the finest armor Atlas had to offer. Her legs were bent like a wolf's and her blue skin contrasted nicely with her dark red hair. It matched her glowing red eyes. "Where are the humans?" she growled.

"Hmm," Tyrian tapped his finger against his chin, looking off into space thoughtfully, "oh, I do believe they are lost in the castle-"

"Where?" she growled, stepping into the room. Her tail swung from side to side fiercely, like a snake hypnotizing its prey.

"If you must know," Tyrian continued, "one has made some new friends."

She growled at him, grabbing him by the shoulder and throwing him aside. Tyrian grunted as he stumbled, barely keeping his balance. He glared at the back of the she-demon as she watched the screens.

Then she yowled, slamming her fist against the control panel. "Impossible!"

Tyrian chuckled. "Oh, what is it now?"

"You know what!" His ally snapped around to face him, baring her fangs. "The clan has awakened!"

"I told you we should have killed them when we had the chance," Tyrian replied, rolling his eyes, "now they've gone and ruined your plans."

"Be silent," she snapped back, turning to the screens again. Tyrian knew when a conversation was forcibly ended, so instead, listened to her ramblings.

"It doesn't make sense," she growled, "the spell was supposed to last until Wyvern castle was above the clouds. How could one, simple, human girl with a scythe and-" she stopped. "Wait..." she pressed a button. The camera zoomed in on the human who was now talking with her revived clanmates. She narrowed her eyes. "Tyrian," she said slowly, still looking at the screen, "what color is that girl's eyes?"

Tyrian smirked. "Oh... I should say... silver."

"Of course," the gargoyle growled. Her claws dug into the metal, leaving deep gouges. When she turned to Tyrian with a snarl, he recoiled, wincing.

"Did you know about this?"

"Know?" Tyrian scoffed, jabbing a finger at the gargoyle, "You of all people should know about her!"

"Why?!"

"Oh, well, it's in her name of course," Tyrian mused, flicking his hand underneath his chin gracefully, " What was it again? Oh yes. Ruby Rose."

The gargoyle stiffened and stood up straight, her back rigid. Tyrian let out a single laugh. "Oh, does it ring any bells?"

The gargoyle said nothing, instead turning to the screen again. She focused on the tall, broad-shoulder Goliath as he helped one of their clanmates out of the hole in the floor. Her gaze softened, and she reached up a claw, gently stroking the glass. _My love,_ she thought, _it's been so long..._

"My, my," Tyrian said, "still carrying a flame, are we?"

The she-demon rounded on him with a hissing growl, her wings and arms spread. "Do not mock me, assassin," she warned, "or there will be consequences."

Tyrian met her gaze firmly, then shrugged his shoulders. "Oh very well," he replied, "I suppose it is bad manners. Now, with our bickering aside..." He flicked his wrists. Two pairs of curved blades flicked outward. "How about we go hunting?"

She turned around and stared once more at Goliath. The camera lens did nothing to change him. She wanted to hold him again, to touch him, to feel his strong arms around her, his wings draped across her chest, her claws resting on his chest...

"No," she said, "you deal with the other humans. I'll speak with Goliath and the others."

"What?!" Tyrian said, stunned, "Do you intend to convince them to serve our beloved goddess?! Need I remind you that for the past-"

"No," she growled, turning on me again with burning red eyes, "you don't need to remind me. But, give me some time-"

"Alone with your true love," Tyrian sighed, rolling his eyes and shaking his head, "alright, alright. Heh. It's rather romantic really. I do hope it doesn't go down in flames... and, of course, there is the matter of explaining to the girl what became of her team."

"I'm already thinking about that," she hissed, walking past him and out the door, "just kill the students and Huntsman."

Tyrian watched and listened until she was out of earshot. Then he shook his head, chuckling. "Oh, I can't wait to see how this ends..."

* * *

Yang's head was like a tornado.

The only thing she could see was Ruby falling through the floor. Then the Bayard was bearing down on them. She'd given it a punch in the face the moment it got too close. Then the horde had gotten to her. Professor Port had to fight them off while Weiss and Blake dragged her to safety. They'd almost lost Port, but he'd come through in the end. They'd managed to lose the horde of Grimm through the use of Weiss's ice walls, but now Weiss was low on ice dust.

Now, they were hiding in a chamber probably used as a bedroom, the door having been boarded shut by Port and Weiss after they got inside. The horde hadn't been able to follow them all the way here, which was damned lucky.

Yang didn't care about that.

"We have to find Ruby," she blurted out. "We have to find her-"

"I couldn't agree more, Miss Xiao-Long," Professor Port said, interrupting her, "but we can't at the moment."

"Why?" Weiss glared at Port. "Ruby's our team leader, we can't just leave her!"

"The Grimm-" Blake began to say, only for Yang to cut her off.

"To hell with the Grimm! My sister is out there, and we're stuck in this damned room, doing nothing-"

"It's not the Grimm I'm worried about."

The three girls looked to Port, confused. "What?"

"Girls, have you all heard stories about the Fourth Race?"

"Fourth Race?" Yang said, raising one eyebrow.

"He means the Fair Folk," Blake explained, "according to legends, there are four races on Remnant. Humans, Faunus, Gargoyles, and the Fair Folk, or Other People, or... well, Fourth Race."

"What do fairies have to do with this castle?" Weiss said quickly.

"Miss Xanatos-Schnee," Professor Port said firmly, looking right at her, "do you recall how Ruby was the only one to fall through the floor?"

The three girls exchanged glances, then Weiss slowly nodded. "What are you saying?"

"I've encountered the Fourth Race."

The three Huntresses widened their eyes at Port. "Seriously?" Blake said quietly. "You've... actually met-"

" _Encountered,_ Miss Belladonna, not met." Port became quiet, looking down at the floor. "That encounter is why I believe the old legends about the Wyvern clan. I was a young lad, barely older than you three are now. My team and I had been sent to investigate disappearances in a village. At first, we suspect the Grimm, but the villagers told a different story. About music and otherworldly singing coming from the forest, beautiful, unearthly people with pointed ears approaching them, beckoning them... I didn't know what to make of it.

"Until I saw one for myself."

Port sighed, rubbing his forehead, Blowhard laying on his knees. The girls were listening to him with rapt attention, captivated.

"My team and I were patrolling the woods, expecting to run into bandits, when we got separated. The next thing I knew, I was face-to-face with a man. He was the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. Long, luscious hair, skin as dark as the night sky, a voice as soft as silk... I'm not even attracted to men, but I felt myself being pulled towards him. It was hypnotic." A single bead of sweat ran down his forehead and across his eyebrow. "If it hadn't been for Dingo, I would have been taken."

"Dingo?"

"My old partner," Port chuckled, "Ah, the trouble we'd get up to together." He puffed out his chest, thumping it with one fist. "I still miss him."

"What'd you do with the-"

"Well, after that, we called Headmaster Othello. He came down immediately and apologized for not having put us in such peril, then sent us back to Beacon while he dealt with the Fourth Race. He came back after he'd rescued the missing villagers." Port went quiet again, leaning back against the wall. "My team and I never talked about what happened ever again."

"What exactly does this have to do with... us?"

"Well," Professor Port began to say, "a floor suddenly giving way under a young girl, while the rest of the team is being attacked by the Grimm, is something I'd expect one of them to do. Especially when that girl has silver eyes."

"Silver eyes?" Yang said quickly, curling her hands into fists, "What are you talking about?!"

"According to legend, the Fourth Race doesn't like people with silver eyes. Nobody's entirely sure why, but if I had to guess-"

"Wait!" Blake held up a hand, amber eyes flickering in the darkness.

"Miss Belladonna," Port said quietly, "what is it?"

"I thought I heard-"

She was cut off by a loud, pained howl, which was followed by a ferocious roar. Then there was a gunshot, followed by what sounded like a scythe slicing through-

"It's Ruby!" Yang called, rushing for the door.

"Miss Xiao-Long, wait!"

_To hell with waiting!_ Yang would have said that but didn't. Ruby was out there, alone, fighting the horde of Grimm which was much bigger than they'd been told, and Yang would be damned if she let anything happen to her little sister!

She's already burst through the door and cocked her gauntlets - when a Creeper was sent flying through the air right in front of her, disintegrating into black dust. She blinked, turned to see where it had come from, and felt her rush of adrenaline stop instantly.

A massive, obese, cyan-skinned creature with fins on either side of its head and a pair of wings was lifting a Boarbatusk above its head. The pig-like Grimm was snorting, desperately waving its hooves in the air, before the monster growled and brought the Grimm crashing down onto its knee, breaking its back audibly. The Borbatusk didn't make a single word as it disintegrated into dust.

One word raced through Yang's mind when she saw it.

Gargoyle.

The monster looked at her with silver-white eyes, snarling, his overbite hanging open, then blinked and his eyes... stopping glowing, revealing a pair of gentle, almost human eyes. He smiled and looked over his shoulder. "Hey Ruby!" he called, "I found your sister!"

"What?" Yang said, unable to say anything else. Then there was the familiar bark of a rifle and a red blur of petals shot past the gargoyle, turning into a young girl with reddish-black hair right in front of Yang. That brought her back to her senses.

"Ruby!"

"Yang!"

The two sisters hugged each other instantly, Yang holding her close and tight. "Thank goodness you're alright!"

Ruby didn't say anything, just tightened her grip on her big sister.

Then Blake cleared her throat uneasily. "Uh... I'd hate to interrupt this little reunion, but... are those... gargoyles?"

Ruby and Yang let go of each other and turned to Blake, who was staring wide-eyed at the group of gargoyles behind them, along with Professor Port and Weiss.

"Oh," Ruby said, then smiled giddily, "okay, guys, you're never going to believe this - okay, well, you probably will once I tell you, since they're standing _right there -_ but this" - Ruby turned around, gesturing to the gargoyles. They'd assembled behind a tall, broad-shouldered gargoyle with lavender skin and a long mane of hair, looking on impassively - "is the Wyvern clan."


	3. An Important Message

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This just needs to be addressed...

Okay so...

Oof... this is hard...

As some of you may know, some allegations have come out against one Ryan Haywood. He's the voice of Professor Port, and I was a big fan of his.

Was a big fan of his.

The allegations against Ryan Haywood have... they've really shaken me and given I've been using Port as a major character in this fic so far, and probably would be for the foreseeable future of the fic? I just... God, I hate even writing this. But I feel it has to be done.

I'm probably going to be taking much longer to post the third chapter than the second one because of what's come to light. Knowing what kind of person Ryan has kind of tainted Port for me. Goddamn it. Just goddamn it.

I have every intention of continuing this story, I've been building a story and doing worldbuilding, but at the same time, I feel like my heart won't be in it as it was before.

I'm just so torn by what Ryan has done. I enjoyed the guy so much and now he's... he's shown us what he really is.


End file.
